Zelkova carpinifolia

Zelkova carpinifolia, known as Caucasian zelkova, Caucasian elm[2] or just zelkova, is a species of Zelkova, native to the Caucasus, Kaçkar, and Alborz mountains in the extreme southeast of Europe and southwest Asia.

Fruit, late autumn

Zelkova carpinifolia
Autumn foliage

Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Ulmaceae
Genus: Zelkova
Species:
Z. carpinifolia
Binomial name
Zelkova carpinifolia
Synonyms

It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree growing to 20–35 m (66–115 ft) tall, with a trunk of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. The crown is a highly distinctive vase-shape, with a short broad trunk dividing low down into numerous nearly erect branches. The leaves are alternate, 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) long and 2.5–6 cm (1–2 3⁄8 in) broad, the margin bluntly serrated with 7–12 teeth on each side. The flowers are inconspicuous and greenish, with no petals, and are wind-pollinated. The fruit is a small nutlet 5–6 mm (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) in diameter.

It is grown as an ornamental tree in Europe (huge exemplars of it can be found quite often in western part of Georgia called Imereti, used for decorating courtyards in villages and making a pleasant shadow) and more rarely in North America (where the related Japanese Z. serrata is more popular).

Hybrid cultivars
  • Zelkova × verschaffeltii

References
  • Andrews, S. (1994). Tree of the year: Zelkova. Int. Dendrol. Soc. Yearbook 1993: 11-30.
  • Hunt, D. (1994). Beware of the Zelkova. Int. Dendrol. Soc. Yearbook 1993: 33-41.
  • Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
  1. Güner, A. & Zielinski, J. (1998). "Zelkova carpinifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998: e.T31303A9622352. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T31303A9622352.en.
  2. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
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